Panama lies at the southern end of Central America. It borders Colombia to the south and Costa Rica to the north. The region was first settled by Spain in the 1500s. Panama broke ties with Spain in 1821 as a part of the Republic of Gran Colombia. It remained unified with Colombia until 1903 when, with the aid of the United States, Panama separated from Colombia to facilitate the construction of the Panama Canal. Today, with approximately 15,000 ships passing through it each year, the canal accounts for a large portion of the country’s GDP and is a mainstay of international commerce.

General Information
Official Name:
Republic of Panama, República de Panamá
Capitol:
Panama City
Population:
3,788,000
Languages:
Spanish
Geographic Region:
Americas
Central America
Geographic Size (km sq):
75,517
Year of UN Membership:
1945
Year of Present State Formation:
1903
Online Profiles
Key Statistics & Indicators
Gross Domestic Product (GDP, Nominal):
$44.789 Billion
Per Capita Income (PPP Adjusted):
$17,810 (CID)
GDP Growth:
7.50 (%)
Human Development Index (HDI):
0.77
Gini Index (Income Inequality):
51.90
Economic Grouping:
Developing Country
History
International Relations
UN Voting Blocs & Caucuses:
Group of 77 (G-77)
Latin America Group
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Major International & Regional Organizations:
BCIE: Central American Bank for Economic Integration
CAN/ACN: Andean Community of Nations
CD: Community of Democracies
CELAC: Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
UNASUL: Union of South American Nations
IADB: Inter-American Development Bank
ICC: International Chamber of Commerce
ICRM: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
IFRCS: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
IMSO: International Mobile Satellite Organization
Interpol: International Criminal Police Organization
IOC: International Olympic Committee
IOM: International Organization for Migration
IPU: Inter-Parliamentary Union
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
ITSO: International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
ITUC: International Trade Union Confederation
LAES/SELA: Latin American and Caribbean Economic System
ALADI/LAIA: Latin American Integration Association
OAS: Organization of American States
OPANAL: Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
Pacific Alliance
PCA: Permanent Court of Arbitration
SICA: Central American Integration System
UNASUR: Union of South American Nations
Union Latina
WCO: World Customs Organization
WFTU: World Federation of Trade Unions
UN Specialized Agencies & Organizations:
CTBTO: Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency
IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
ICSID: International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
IDA: International Development Association
IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC: International Finance Corporation
ILO: International Labor Organization
IMF: International Monetary Fund
IMO: International Maritime Organization
ITU: International Telecommunications Union
MIGA: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNWTO: United Nations World Tourism Organization
UPU: Universal Postal Union
WBG: World Bank Group
WHO: World Health Organization
WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
WTO: World Trade Organization
Bilateral Relations
United Nations Data
Government Sources
UN Mission
866 U.N. Plaza, Suite 4030
New York, NY 10017
(212) 421-5420
(212) 421-2694
emb@panama-un.org

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